The Girl Of Never Letting Go
by ReaKTOR
Summary: This is intended as a makeshift fourth book in the series. So, of course, it's set after Monsters of Men. Please enjoy! UPDATE: CHAPTER TWO IS FINISHED, CHAPTER THREE IS UP!
1. Not how we fall

**_Author's Note:_**_ This is_ _rated T due to the multiple minor suggestive adult themes and violence in Chaos Walking. If you could handle Chaos Walking, you can handle this._

_I have used horizontal bars for whitespace, as whitespace goes weird every time I save this. Sorry!_

* * *

><p><em>"It's not how we fall. It's how we get back up again."<em>

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

I closed the book for what seemed like the hundredth time. Probably more than that, actually. I stretch, sighing, and brush my hand against Todd's forehead. I look at Ben, sitting across from me, and we're obviously both thinking the same thing: _Is he ever going to wake up? _Then, I hear a voice from the door of the tent. "Can I come in?"

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

_Viola?_

_Viola, is that you?_

_Have you come back to get me?_

_Viola?_

_Vio-_

_And then I'm flying over New World in that ship again, everyone laughing, chatting about how it's gonna be awesome, living on a whole new world-_

_And I'm in a Spackle camp, walking into a tent-_

_The tent where Todd lies. _

_Todd? Is that me?_

_That's me. I'm Todd. And I'm looking at Viola-_

_**VIOLA VIOLA VIOLAVIOLAVIO-**_

_And then I'm floating out of Brendan's eyes._

_Back to the real world._

_And I have to consentrayte real hard to hear anything but blurry Noise._

_But I hear Brendan._

_And Viola starts to speak._

_Viola, c'mon, c'mon, almost there, I can hear you-_

_Viola-_

_And I'm slipping way back, back into the World-_

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

"Look, Viola, we've delayed the settlers all we can," says Brendan, "but when they arrive, we're gonna-" I swear Todd moved at 'gonna'- "have to get someone to brief them on the situation."

"But-"

"The settlers arrive tomorrow."

I abruptly stop at this. "Tomorrow!? But Todd won't be awa-"

"I know, and you're going to have to do this on your own unless you can by some miracle change that."

"But- I can't- Not without Todd-"

"Sorry, but that's the way it is," says Brendan, walking out of the tent, and gesturing for Ben to come out as well. Ben is reluctant, but eventually does anyway.

They leave me alone with Todd.

And then I hear his Noise.

It's saying, _Viola Viola Viola_ over and over-

And I know what to do-

I grab the back of his head-

Pull him in-

_VIOLAVIOLAVIOLAVIOLAVIOLAVIOLAVO-_

And-

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

_I taste strawberry-_

_And I'm in another tent, remembering something like this-_

_And it's not_ perfect-

_But it's enough-_

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

And as soon as Todd's eyes open, I kiss him again-

And again-

And it's only then that I realise 1017 is standing at the door-

Smiling-

And he's _actually_ happy-

Happy for me and Todd-

And-

And-

Todd opens his mouth-

Hugs me-

"It's you, Todd, it's really you-"

Gurgles-

_The problem with not speaking for eleven months_, I think-

And he croaks-

"Yer-"

"My what?"

"Yer Noise."

I just kind of sit there in a shocked silence. "Yer Noise, Viola. I can hear yer Noise."

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

"Eleven _months!?_" I shout.

I ruddy well can't have been asleep for _eleven__ months_.

"You were," says Viola, reading my Noise. And she does it easily, too, without me really noticing anything in her face.

Maybe something changed when I was gone.

I heard something in her Noise then, like _settler ships_.

And then she sighs. She says, "Todd, the settlers arrive tomorrow-"

"_Tomorrow?_"

"Yes, and you gotta-, uh, _have to_ be there to give them the speech."

I smile slightly. Then it's gone again. "But I... I..."

"I'll help you to prepare," she says, reading my noise.

"Thanks," I say.

"Hmm," she says.

And I remember I can read her Noise, and she can't control it at all, but it doesn't matter, it's still beautiful, _she's_ still beautiful-

I look over at Viola, who's blushing.

I can hear in her Noise that she likes my new Noise, because of the way it ripples through her instead of feeling like being drowned in thoughts. She's mainly just glad I'm alive, though. I'm just happy she never left me.

After all, she never would.

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

"Ben?" I shout. "Ben, he's awake! Todd's awake!"

_Todd?_ Ben thinks, rushing in, closely followed by 1017.

1017, without whom I wouldn't have almost lost Todd.

I feel a wave of anger. 1017 just looks at the ground.

Ben then says in his Noise, _I know. The Sky told me._

_The Sky? _I think. Do I call him that now?

_I guess so,_ thinks Todd.

The Sky looks up, but he just looks confused.

_He? Is it a he or a she?_

Ben looks at me and says, with his mouth, "Well, Viola, you help Todd with his speech. I'll leave you two alone for a bit."

"Sure," I say. Ben leaves. The Sky stays a moment longer, still staring in confusion, before walking out.

I hear Ben's noise, his happiness for Todd, for a moment longer until he walks away, back into the **ROAR **of New Haven.

_New Haven?_ asks Todd.

"Yeah, the Council decided on a new name. Good a name as any, I guess."

"Hmm," he replies.

His voice is getting better.

And I take a moment to eat him in, to just stare at him, realise that he's really back, and I want to tell him everything, but there's no time, there's _never_ time, and I just sit in silence a moment before he breaks the silence.

"So," he says. "About that speech..."

* * *

><p>(The Sky)<p>

_He's alive,_ shows the Source. _He's really alive._

I don't show anything back.

_So, ya gonna take the cure now?_

_I... suppose,_ I show.

_What is it?_

_The Knife's-_

_Todd's-_

Todd's _one in particular._

_What about her?_

_Only the Land has Noise like that in women. The Noise in Clearing women is almost silent._

_You mean-_

_I do not know. I have learnt that telling you is always best for the Land._

_Huh. It usually is._

I supress a smile.

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

We've gone through the speech so many times, but Todd wants me to keep talking, and I can tell he just wants to hear my voice again, to kn-

_Her voice, her voice, her beautiful voice-_

_Her skin-_

_Her-_

_It's her-_

_I-_

I stop reading his Noise. He grins, and I feel like I'm blushing all over.

Just like when that picture was in Lee's Noise.

And then I remember that Todd can hear my Noise, and-

He laughs. "Well, I ain't expected nothin' less. Yer a beautiful girl, Viola, and that tends to make people think of things."

I look at him. "Things they'd probly never do," he finishes hurriedly.

I laugh, and it's his turn to blush.

I do a quick calculation in my head. How old is Todd now? Uh... fifteen and a half.

He missed his fifteenth birthday completely.

Well, of course, not in New World- he's not nearly fifteen in New World.

"You know," I say to him, "there used to be like 15 billion people on Old World."

Todd looks amazed, but doesn't say anything, so he can listen to my voice.

"They got along without too many massive wars, somehow, but a couple of times they nearly got knocked out by diseases. Something called Ebola took about a billion."

(Please note: This is not a joking reference to the many sufferers of Ebola. I understand that it is a serious virus. No insult is intended.)

"But they repopulated pretty quickly."

"Huh," he says. "Fifteen billion's a lot."

"Yeah," I say.

We look at each other for a moment, and for a moment, I just don't care, I just want to be with Todd, maybe start a family, live a decent life, die happy-

_Not for a few years._

I blush when I realise what Todd's referring to. I blush again when I realise he's joking.

In one way or another.

He smiles at me amusedly, and I decide that after this speech, it's all over.

And we can be happy.


	2. Effed it up

"You're like me, Todd. You're a good leader."

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

I woke up, and I'm lying on Viola

(oh shit, oh shit)

(shut up)

so I roll off and try to remember

(oh God, shit, shit, shit)

(shut _up_)

And then I remember, we'd been discussing the speech

(shit)

(_shut UP_)

And I fell asleep on top of her.

(shit)

(_SHUT UP_)

Nothing happened-

(shut up)

And the speech was today.

(SHIT)

I didn't bother thinking _shut up_ that time.

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

Todd's shaking me, and I say, "Calm down, Todd, I'm awake."

I didn't even remember falling asleep.

_What happened?_

It doesn't matter, because that's when I remember that the speech is today.

"Goddamn right," he says.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down," I say, hugging him.

"Sorry," he says. "Just a bit tired."

"You would be, we were up till two in the morning."

"Really?"

"Well, on the bright side, I think that's probably enough practice."

"Hmm," he says.

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

And then we look at the clock.

"Oh, eff," we both say at the same time.

And do we say eff?

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

I pull my old shirt over my head, and grab a new one from the pile of clean clothes.

"Ya done yet?" asks Todd from the door.

"Ten seconds," I say, putting on some lipstick.

He sighs. "You've said that every ten seconds for the last fifteen minutes."

"This time, really."

"And you've said _that_ eleven times."

"But I meant _that-_"

"And you've said _that_ twice-"

I run out of the tent, and Todd just stares at me.

_Yer beautiful,_ his Noise is saying.

I blush. "Just go ahead and get changed."

He takes a while to pull his eyes off me. He comes out about ten seconds later, still in the same clothes.

"Uh... are you forgetting something?"

"Oh, right, getting changed, yeah," he says, dazed, staring at my clothing.

He takes ten minutes to get changed.

"What took you so long?"

"What took _you_ so long?"

I stare at him. "Well, _you_ don't have to worry about things like lipstick-"

"Neither do you-"

"Yes, I do-"

"Hullo, y'all?" A piercing voice cuts into our argument.

"Wilf?" I ask.

"That's right. Hildy, Todd, y'all get up off yer asses and into this here cart!"

Well, we do. We have to get to that speech in time.

"Oh, and call me Viola."

"Sure thing, Hildy."

Todd laughs, and I can't help but laugh too.

* * *

><p>(The Sky)<p>

I look at the mass of newcomers to the Clearing, waiting to be invited into the old Clearing.

I am told the invitation will also teach the newcomers to the Clearing not to harm the Land, and what has happened in the past.

For this is what is best for the Land.

I look at the Source.

_Will they ever come?_ he shows to me.

_I do not know._

The Source looks at me, anxious. _If they don't make this speech, we'll get another Haven civil war._

According to the Clearing, a civil war is one where a group of people fights against itself. But the group splits into smaller groups, because otherwise the war would be won as soon as it begun.

The two groups were separate, but it was called a civil war because of the fight against the Land.

This shows that the Clearing and the Land are like one people.

Which is what is best for the Land.

The Source shows fear. _C'mon, c'mon-_

And I see two figures riding down the road towards us.

No, not two, but three.

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

I never knew Wilf's cart could travel so fast.

Well, it was the horses really.

And they were getting _ruddy_ tired.

And this was SO MUCH FUN.

"Yeee-_ha!_" Wilf shouts.

"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE MEANS," shouts Viola over the roar of the wind.

"NEITHER," I shout back.

She smiles at me.

I smile back.

"Ya know, Viola, I-"

"Hmm?" she says.

And she looks so pretty then, biting her lower lip, eyes open wide, eating me in, in her little red dress-

She was so _little_-

So _cute_-

And I just kind of sit there, holding her hand. "I, uh..."

She smiles slightly, eyes opening wider.

And I spend so long looking at her, her beautiful face, her beautiful skin-

I don't even notice when we stop.

"Eff it," I whisper under my breath.

Viola whispers something under her breath. I don't hear it, but it's probably the same thing.

"I'll tell you later, after the speech," I say, getting all serious and walking up the podium to where Ben and 1017-

The Sky, by Ben's Noise-

are standing, waiting for me to give the speech. Viola hops off the cart, and speeds up until she's walking by my side.

I hold her hand, and she holds mine.

Everyone's staring at us as we get to the front. Bradley punches me lightly in the arm. "Go get em'."

But he isn't smiling.

After Simone, I don't think he ever will really again.

I stop for a second. Viola, reading my Noise, frowns, grabs my hand tighter, but I don't move.

She stops.

_Just another thing, just another thing I completely EFFED UP-_

_You didn't_, replies Viola in her noise.

I don't stop, thinking about everything I ever did wrong, everyone I hurt, everything-

"Think about what you 'effed up'-" she makes bunny ears with her fingers- "after this, Todd. We have a speech to give."

"Yeah," I say, half-heartedly. "I guess."

We continue to the podium.

And I can't help thinking, _that Spackle probably had a family-_

_Manchee didn't have to die-_

_Davy-_

_Simone-_

But I think it quietly, so Viola can't hear it in my noise.

And I'll always be thinking it.

Until the day I die.

* * *

><p>I look up, and pull the microphone to my mouth. I tap it like Viola showed me last night to check if it's on. It is.<p>

I look over at Viola, and she grabs my arm, and squeezes it.

_You'll do fine,_ she thinks, over the **ROAR** of the crowd-

****ROARROARROAR**ROARROARROAR**ROARROARROAR**ROARROARROAR**ROARROARROAR**ROARROARROAR**ROARROARROAR****************

But I can hear her, she's always there-

And I know-

She means it.

So I stand up straight, open my mouth, and say-

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

"Settlers from abroad," he says, like we practiced, "Citizens of New Haven. Welcome to New World."

He pauses, expecting a cheer or something similar. There was, along with applause.

"I bet yer wondering why a fourteen-year-old is giving you this speech. Well, I'm, uh..."

He looks to me.

I grab the microphone and his hand. "Fifteen and a half in Old World years."

I'm surprised at how loud my voice is, even though I heard Todd already.

"Yeah, there are thirteen months in a year here. Now, some of you will have noticed that your thoughts can be heard by other people. In that case, yer a boy. So, if yer not sure if yer a boy or girl for whatever reason, that settles it."

Some laughter.

That bit we didn't rehearse, but we didn't rehearse much anyway.

I blush.

_Not now, Viola._

"So, yer may wanna cover up some thoughts-"

And I know what he's reffer-

_sex sex sex girls bloody noise sex sex sex sex _

-ing to.

"And the Spackle, the creachers that live on this planet, communicate with Noise."

"So, I'll tell ya what happened in about five minutes. It's not a lot, but it's all ya need to know.

"Well, I come from a town called Prentisstown.

When the first settlers arrived here, they had to blame someone for the Noise. That someone was the Spackle.

So, there was a war between person and Spackle. The Spackle did nothing to ever deserve the deaths.

Of course, they covered it up by saying all sortsa terrible things 'bout the Spackle. That was what I learnt. The Spackle ain't like that at all.

The town used to be called New Elizabeth, but when Mayor Prentiss took over, changing the name to Prentisstown, he divided man and woman and the men became jealous of the women cause the women could hear all the mens' thoughts, but not the other way round. So they killed them.

All of them.

Of course, I didn't know this then. I was about to turn thirteen, which is when I become a man- According to Viola, though, I was already fourteen and a bit in Old World years when I met her. Still, men are way different from boys. I dunno why, but I couldn't wait to become a man.

When I felt the hole in the Noise in the forest, then, I'd never seen a girl. Which is why I thought it was a Spackle, _apparently_ a horrible man-eating murderous bloodthirsty creacher. More like us, really.

Turns out it was Viola. We got to know each other, and made it here. Maybe there _was_ hope at the end of the road.

We got to the pathway's end and oh, _crap_, Mayor Prentiss has created a 'New Prentisstown' where Haven should be. He separated Viola and I, and when she was missing I actually became quite attached to the Spackle.

Which is why, when Mayor Prentiss killed over a thousand Spackle and blamed it on the Answer, the group Viola was in, I thought she'd turned against me.

Mayor Prentiss found out how to control his emotions and use Noise as a weapon."

I notice he doesn't say 'hide his Noise', or everyone would try it.

"So I turned against her. The Mayor tried to take me in as one of his own, but Viola and I saw sense and defeated the Mayor in a Noise battle.

That is, until the Spackle got their revenge for the Spackle incident.

Haven was pretty much destroyed-"

He refused to call it _New Prentisstown_-

"but we won in the end. Almost.

Because the leader of the Spackle thought I was the Mayor-

And shot me in the chest with an acidic arrow.

I dunno what happened then, but the reason I only gave ya this speech today is cause I woke up yesterday.

After sleeping for eleven months.

After Viola saved me.

That's it."

And he steps off the podium and towards Wilf's cart, leaving a stunned audience behind him.

* * *

><p>"How'd I do?" he asked.<p>

"You were amazing."

And he lifts me off the cart, and says, "Look, Viola, the Mayor was dark, twisted, but all he wanted was power."

"Your point is?"

"He was right about one thing."

"What?"

"I'm a good leader. I don't want to be, but I am."

"Yeah, you kind of _are_."

"It's just... what if he was telling the truth about Prentisstown?"

"I..."

"Yeah, I know."

I look at him and squeeze his hand. "He wasn't. Don't worry."

He said, "Oh, and can you do me a favor?"

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

"Remind me again why you wanted me to read you your mother's journal again?" she asked.

We were back in my tent, the one where I woke up.

The one where Viola woke me up.

And it was getting pretty dark, now that it was like nine o'clock.

I lay sprawled on the ground next to her.

"I only heard your voice, not really anything from the journal, while I was gone. Plus, it'll help with my reading."

She smiles, "Okay."

So she opens her mouth.

And she starts speaking.

When she gets to 'Ladies of New World won't know what hit 'em', she blushes.

I don't see it, of course, 'cause it's too dark- I see it in her Noise.

And when she finishes, I ask her to sing.

And she does.

She sings.

_Earrr-ly in the mooooo-rn-ing..._

* * *

><p>:Lee:<p>

I wake up because of the singing.

_Viola's_ singing.

And I feel so jealous of Todd right then, how _he_ has Viola and _I_ don't-

So I get up and walk to the tent Todd woke up in.

When she stops singing, I silently open the tent-

And see Todd and Viola wearing no clothes-

_no they're wearing clothes_-

And they're-

_no they're not, they're kissing_-

But they're still-

And I quickly close the tent and run back to mine, back under the covers.

And I fall asleep quickly.

And I dream-

I dream of-

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

I pulled away, still feeling sort of dazed.

"What's wrong?" says Viola, in that voice, that voice that makes me want to grab her and-

(shut up)

"I thought I heard Noise outside the tent."

-makes me want to-

(shut _up_)

-I'm fifteen, I'm a man, I can do what I want-

(_shut up_)

(_no you can't_)

(_can't_)

She looks at me. "Whose?"

"Lee's."

She shifts uncomfortably. "I didn't hear anything."

I shrug. "Maybe he's learning how to hide his Noise too."

_Or we didn't notice when we were_-

(shut _up_)

(I can do what I want)

(_no I can't_)

(_shut up_)

(_SHUT UP_)

"Maybe," she says.

"Um, can you sing again?"

"Whatever you want," she says with a smile.

(whatever _I_ want)

(no you don't)

(you don't want that)

(shut _up_)

And she sings.

And I cry.

And she hugs me.

And I still cry.

_Mum__,_ I think.

But Viola's better than Mum would ever have been.

And she always will be.

(shut _up_)

She falls asleep in my arms. I fall asleep soon after.

* * *

><p>Floating<p>

_floating through the Noise_

Floating through the world

_Viola_

_I love you Viola_

Do I?

_What is love?_

And I see Lee, sleeping, tossing and turning, dreaming of-

There's the Sky, saying to Ben there's something wrong with-

_I do, I love her_

And there are the settlers, the ones talking 'bout the speech, sayin' I was good-

And I ask the question, the only question-

_Is this what it was like for the Mayor all the time?_

It ain't too bad, but maybe I'm better at it-

_Does she love me?_

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

I wake up.

I just had a dream where everything was over, like it should be, just me and Todd-

And we were sitting on a hill-

All grown up-

Watching our kids play-

_But we don't grow up much more than this._

I look over at Todd, lying awake by my side.

And it's true, we've been through so much already that there isn't much more to learn-

And I hear briefly in Todd's Noise, **Does she-**

And it's gone again.

Todd looks at the door of the tent. "Uh... Sky?"

I wonder if we can call him that.

Him or her.

The Sky doesn't reply, and I notice that he's still wearing his band.

_Guess it's a him._

His arm looks like it's going to fall off if he doesn't take the cure soon.

I look at Todd, at the pure and simple but truthful worry on his face. "Do ya want me to put on yer bandages?"

I grab some of the bandages from the bag. The Sky doesn't move.

Todd puts on the bandage, wrapping it on tightly. "There ya go."

The Sky says nothing, just walks out.

But Todd definitely seems to have heard something.

"What'd he say?" I ask.

"Beats me," he replies.

But it's clear that it doesn't.

Then he snaps out of it, and we both realize-

I'm still wearing that _ruddy _band.

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

I look at Mistress Lawson anxiously, waiting for a reply.

"Well," she says at last, "I think we can take that off for you. Should only take about eight minutes."

I look at Viola, who nods.

"Can I stay with her?" I ask immediately.

"Unfortunately not, so you'll have to find something else to do." It's clear that Mistress Lawson don't find it so unfortunate- she's probly so traumatised by what has happened that she'll never really think properly again.

That is, until it comes to medicine.


	3. Cry for help

_**Author's Note:** For some reason I can't reply to my guest reviews, or find them at all, for that matter. But, for 'ToolazytoLogin (Guest)', I have this to say:_

_Chaos Walking is an enlightening and illuminating book. It has profound moral, sociological and psychological implications. Its intricacy also revolves around the multiple character deaths, including–_

_Yes, okay, there will be more of a Tiola element soon._

_Promise._

* * *

><p>Does it make us right? Or does it make us dangerous?<p>

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

"You can see her now," said Mistress Lawson.

I ain't hesitating, I'm just running-

And I'm in her arms-

And her in mine.

And the wristband is gone.

"Viola? Are you- did it hurt?"

She shook her head, smiling.

"Well, we better go. Time for lunch," she said.

"Hmm," I say back.

I take another look at her arm. It's a little red, but apart from that, it's completely fine.

She pulls me out of the door, and we walk throo the Spackle camp to the tent where Ben is. We sit down to eat.

The food is nice.

Just when we're about to finish eating, Viola turns around.

_What was that?_ her Noise asks.

She looks over at me, and then I notice Ben is looking up.

Then I hear it.

Like someone just... ripped out the Noise.

And again, but this time stronger.

It's like someone ripping my brain out from inside out-

Viola gri

ps my han

d tightly,

but

it

is

too

late

no

w

* * *

><p>"Where am I?" I ask the Sky.<p>

"You're in the World," replies the Mayor. "Just like me."

"The Mayor?" I whisper, but it's Davy.

_"Why?" he says, defeat in his eyes, as he looks at his father one more time._

_No, I don't, don't wanna remember that-_

And I'm

_on a rowboat, drifting away from me. I look down at the dog, that dog, that _bloody_ dog._

_I swear I'll kill him. Just to spite the boy._

_He must kill me._

_And the sacrifice will be complete._

And when I see Manchee die again, but this time I'm Aaron-

It's too much.

I scream.

"MANCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-"

Why?

Why did he have to do this?

Why did this have to happen to me?

_"Ride the waves, Todd," says Ben. "You have to control it."_

_Viola looks at Todd. His face is strained, and it's clear he's overworked even before he collapses limp on the ground._

_"He'll be fine," Ben reassured Viola._

And now I'm in the forest-

You must save them, _screamed the Sky's bloody, disfigured body._

_His band was still on, but his skin was clearly healing._

_And then my view changes, and I see the smiling face of-_

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

I shake Todd again.

And there's still nothing.

And for a moment, I hear in his Noise, _MANCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-_

And it just breaks my heart.

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

"Todd? Todd, you're awake!"

"Uhnnn..."

_Viola_

_Viola_

_Viola_

_Vi_

_Are you okay? _asks Viola's Noise, with overwhelming worry.

_ola_

_Viola_

_Viol_

"I'm... fine..."

_slurred Todd. Viola hugged him, pulling him towards him with desperation._

_"If anything had happened to you..." said Viola._

_"I... it's..."_

_And it was then that Todd noticed Viola's Noise, hearing her hear his Noise scream _MANCHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

_And he looked at her and she kissed him._

_"Nothing will happen to you. Don't you _dare_ let anything happen to you. I can't lose you again."_

_Todd nodded._

_"Now let's finish lunch."_

the food i

s nice

Viola

Viola

I love you

Do you love me?

Viola?

Vioooooolllllll

* * *

><p>"Todd?" asked Viola from across the table.<p>

I hadn't touched my foo

_Does she love me?_

d once since that Noise blast hit.

_"Are you sure?" asked Viola, clear worry interlaced into her voice. "He doesn't _look_ fine."_

_Ben smiled. "He is, trust me. He just has to learn to ride the waves."_

_Todd pushed himself off the ground. "Juhhhh..."_

_"Are you alright?" asked Viola, in a panicked way._

_"Fine, fine," replied Todd. "Ya know, _fine_."_

_Viola nodded, hugging Todd then stepped back._

_"Let's try this again," said Ben._

"Are you alright?" asked Viola, in a panicked way.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ireplied.

Viola nodded, returning to her food.

Ben looked at me, then nodded as well, and took the plate away from me.

_Yes, he technically _did_ read your mind,_ said Viola, with her Noise.

_Technically!_ I 'Noised' back. _And since when have we cared about 'technically?'_

Viola smiled. _Be technically dead all you want now._

I smiled back.

Ben looked up, confused.

Oh, that's right, I'm the only one who can hear Viola's Noise.

"What?" I said.

Ben just looked back to his food, finishing it.

Well, _my_ food, technically.

_And since when have we cared about 'technically'?_

I don't know how you can Noise mockingly, but Viola managed it well enough.

And I managed to smile well enough back.

* * *

><p>(The Sky)<p>

_There is nothing left to lose._

My mind clicked into place with the Land, once just another in a surging current.

But this time, I am the wave.

I let out a final gasp of agony, as I am dragged back, over the newly-fixed First Bridge of The Knife and his One In Particular, and into the Old Clearing.

The Clearing where the Knife was from.

The face above was the one I never wanted to see again.

And as the minds all fixed themselves into their positions, to create a wave of Noise that can be heard anywhere, everywhere–

But clearest to the one I once wanted dead–

_You must save them,_ I screamed.

And then the face looked up.

That terrible smile.

The smile that nearly destroyed the Land and Clearing alike.

The Ender.

The End.

* * *

><p>{Viola}<p>

When I stopped kissing Todd for the first time, I knew I wanted more.

Well, I guess that's what I'll get.

All in due time, of course.

I kissed Todd again, and reluctantly stopped.

"Todd, are you sure you're okay?" I asked. "I heard that like someone flew a plasmojet engine through my face!"

Todd looked confused. I explained, "It was very loud."

He nodded. "It was directed towards me. I know it."

I hugged him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," he replied.

I'll never know what he's been through. Even if I turn his Noise inside out, I never will.

I kissed him again ge-

The door handle creaked.

Todd yelped, but I was prepared. I covered his mouth, wiped mine, and pulled out a book from the drawer that was _so conveniently_ an arm's length away from me and _so conveniently_ open–

I opened it to page 159–

Just as Ben walked in.

"...and so, if Wilf doesn't make it onto the council– Oh, hey, Ben."

Ben smiled, and if he saw anything, he didn't show it. "How's Todd?"

"Fine," he said, exasperated.

Ben laughed. "I thought you might be. Well, we're having a Council meeting regarding the Noise wave. As the... primary conduit... you are our guest of honour."

Todd didn't look happy. "It'll be fine," Ben and I assured him simultaneously. "You'll do great."

Todd looked up, confused. "Did you rehearse that?"

"Maybe," we both said. Then, "Really?"

Todd laughed. "Stop that, it's getting creepy."

I laughed with him.

* * *

><p>[Todd]<p>

Viola held my hand as we rode through the noisy streets of New Haven.

I smiled, making her blush.

"You'll do great," she whispered, just as Wilf's cart pulled up next to the Council building.

Yet another new thing I gotta get used to.

I stepped up and out of the cart, into the gigantic building.

I gasped, and rightly so too.

The stone spires seemed to rise up into the heavens. Up, way above, there were huge, twisting sculptures atop massive monoliths, and a motto I didn't understand.

"Si unus ceciderit, hoc omnes," said Wilf. "Y'all know what that means? Cause I got no idea."

He said it all funny, like it was stabbing his mouth.

Viola screwed up her eyes, and rubbed her temples. "I learnt some Latin in the spaceship," she explained.

"If one... something..." she said, muttering.

I squeezed her hand. "We can figure it out later. For now, I've got a meeting to go to."

She nodded, leaving me to walk into the Council building.

It always hurt to leave her behind.


End file.
